Speaking to journalists in Braga\u2014where he took part in an awareness-raising event for the \u201cLet\u2019s separate the waste” campaign\u2014Jos\u00e9 Pimenta Machado was blunt in his assessment of the country’s waste management performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe bad news is that, over the last seven years, our figures for separate waste collection have stagnated; they haven’t risen above 20%. We want to see a significant increase, especially regarding bio-waste (\u2026). Furthermore, over 50% of waste ends up in landfills. In Portugal, it is no longer possible to build new landfills. Therefore, the focus must be upstream\u2014on collection, prevention, and generating less waste. That is where our hope lies,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
APA’s president highlighted national waste management targets to underscore the call for waste separation. Alongside the Secretary of State for the Environment, Jo\u00e3o Manuel Esteves, and the Mayor of Braga, Jo\u00e3o Rodrigues, he emphasized that this is a collective effort involving both the central government and local authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have a target for 2035: we need to reach a 65% rate [for waste separation]. So, we need to get moving\u2014we need to pick up the pace. As I mentioned, we currently send over 50% of our waste to landfills, and we must reduce that to 10% by 2035. This is a major challenge for the country. We all have a role to play in this,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The \u201cLet\u2019s separate the waste\u201d campaign is touring the country with a physical setup featuring exhibits, information, and games designed specifically for children and young people; the site is also open to school visits, as Jo\u00e3o Manuel Esteves pointed out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYoung people have a great advantage: they compel all of us to think. We need to do better; we need to separate our waste (\u2026). We want a circular economy\u2014one that makes use of exactly what we throw away, turning it into value,\u201d the official said, highlighting the importance of holding this campaign during the summer, as this is the time of year when the most waste is produced. \u201cIt is in the summer that we generate the most waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is in the summer\u2014during these four months from June to September\u2014that the country generates 40% of Portugal\u2019s waste. Each of us produces half a tonne of waste annually. That amounts to 519 kilograms per year, or 1.4 kilograms per day. And within that 1.4 kilograms per day, bio-waste accounts for 40%,\u201d noted APA’s president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pimenta Machado added another appeal: \u201cThe best waste is the kind that isn’t produced in the first place\u2014hence our focus on prevention and our daily choices. We often bury products that actually have value; if you separate waste, you can recover that value, create a new product, or even produce ‘green gas’.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following its summer focus, the \u201cLet\u2019s separate the waste” campaign will continue through the end of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The roadshow features a quiz on public knowledge regarding proper waste separation, a sustainable consumption simulator that identifies consumer profiles, workshops for creating art from recycled materials, and various games. It also includes an \u201cmural of excuses\u201d displaying the reasons people often give for failing to separate waste correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The APA\u2014a public institute within the State\u2019s indirect administration\u2014is responsible for implementing environmental policies in Portugal, with a mandate covering monitoring, planning, assessment, licensing, and enforcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jos\u00e9 Pimenta Machado, president of the Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA), expressed regret this Friday that Portugal sends 50% of its waste to landfills, warning that \u201cwe need to act fast and change\u201d because the target is to reduce this figure to 10% by 2035.<\/p>\n\n\n\n